Independence Day: Resurgence -

(Note that I saw this film stoned so I might have enjoyed it more than normally. Great movie to watch high.)

I saw the original Independence Day opening weekend 20 years ago and I loved it, so of course I was excited to see this on the big screen. Is it better than the original? No. Does it suck asphalt? Hell no. It’s about on par in quality or just a hair under.

I will say that the characters and dialogue are a bit cliched and paint by numbers. The plot is a predictable blockbuster three-act structure. About an hour into it you’ll know where it’s headed, who survives as heroes and who will be causalities of war.

But the good outweighs the bad. The actual story here is smart. The human race survived an alien attack, what is Earth like now? The progression of technology and military is logical and well thought out. And the CGI was decent. Didn’t look like a documentary but also didn’t feel like a cartoon.

Above all else this is a fun popcorn movie. If you liked the original, it’s a good bet you’ll like the legacy sequel. I would love to see what this franchise does next.

7/10